Foster Youth Services

Foster Youth Services (FYS) is a program designed to serve the educational needs of children in foster care. FYS professionals have the authority and expertise to track down “lost” transcripts and assessments. FYS programs also provide academic tutoring at school or in the foster home, tailored to each foster student’s needs. Trained FYS staff provide academic counseling, consultation and resources to foster children, foster parents, group home staff and school personnel so that each child’s chances for school success are enhanced. Additionally, FYS incorporated programs that provide emancipation planning, employment search, and post-secondary education.

Program Assistants

Academic Records Assistance

Due to frequent moves a child in foster care experiences, transfer of their educational records may be delayed or lost. Foster Youth Services (FYS) provides an Educational Passport for all foster youth entering the Elk Grove Unified School District (EGUSD).

Assembly Bill 490, effective January 1, 2004 “all foster youth must be enrolled immediately into school.” The current caretaker is no longer required to provide immunizations, transcripts, etc. at the time of enrollment. In addition, a school may not refuse to enroll a foster child who does not have these documents in their possession at the time of enrollment. EGUSD FYS continues to provide the necessary supports to schools, foster parents and group homes that will ensure placement in the most appropriate educational setting. The EGUSD FYS program assistant will assemble a student’s educational information through the use of many resources (the foster youth, foster parent, prior school, social worker or probation officer) to ensure timely enrollment as determined by the California Education Code.

Tutoring

Foster children have a high incidence of gaps in their education. Tutoring support, utilizing various funding sources, focuses on assisting youth in a one-on-one or small group setting for academic support, special education service referrals (when appropriate) and graduation planning/assistance. Each student, when referred, will be academically assessed to determine eligibility for tutoring services. To qualify for tutoring each student must score at least 1-2 grade levels below their current grade level placement in either math or reading on the assessment tool currently utilized. In addition, a foster youth who qualified for tutoring must currently reside in a county licensed foster home, a certified foster family agency home or licensed group home located within the EGUSD boundaries. Funding is not available to provide assistance to students who have been previously identified as residing in either a guardianship or adoptive home.

Training

Foster Youth Services provides training to group home staff/supervisors, foster family agencies and county licensed foster family parents upon request. In addition, training can be offered to all district staff in the area of new laws for foster youth, dependency information, etc, upon request.